Dust guard for journal boxes



April 3, 1945.

C. M. HANNAFORD DUST GUARD FOR JOURNAL BOXES Filed Oct. 21, 1941 6/6021/7 Hommfora BY, 16M, Wpw

Patented Apr. 3, 1945 UNITED STATE s PATENT OFFICE DUST T GUARD FORJOURNAL BOXES Cleon M. Hannaford, Toledo, Ohio; Marie L. Hannaford,executrix of said deceased Cleon M. Hannaford,

Application October 21, 1941, Serial No. 415,951

Claims. (01. 2866) ing foreign matter from the journal box and as' anaid in preventing loss of lubricant therefrom.

The invention has for an object the provision of means formed of sheetmetal providing a support for fibrous material which is arranged to,

contact the exterior periphery of a car axle forming a dust excludingmeans for a journal box.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a dust guard offibrous material supported by sheet metal means which may be used inconjunction with a conventional wood dust guard or which may be usedwithout such wood dust guard. Another object of the invention istheprovision section being taken substantially on line 4-4 of Figure 3; T

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing a modified form offibrous material forming an element of the dust guard structure.

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view showv ing a portion of thestructure illustrated in Figure 4.

Referring to the drawing in detail, In designates a journal box for arailway car, the box having an opening in its front wall which isadapted to be closed by a door H hingedly connected to the upper portionof the journal box by means of a pin I2, the journal box being adaptedto be attached to or form a part of a truck side frame of the car. Thecar axle [4 has vaijournal portion I5 extending into the box of dustguard means for railway car axlei journal boxes embodying sheet metalsupporting means for a fibrous guard structure wherein the sheet metalmeans may be easily and quickly assembled or removed for purposes ofrepair or replacement and yet is of a construction which is securelyheld in operative position in the journal box. 7

Still another object is the provision of a dust guard embodying flexiblefibrous material in normal Contact with the car axle which is adapted"to be readily flexed to accommodate relative movements of the axle.' v

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of this inventionsuch as relate to the arrangement, operation andfunction of' the re-"lated elements of the structure, to various details of construction andto combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economies ofmanufacture and numerous other features as will beepstruction of myinvention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view illustratingthe details of the dust guard construction;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the dust guard construction ofmy invention;

. Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a means ofsecuring flexible fibrous maparent from a consideration of thespecification terial to the sheet metal dust guard frame, the 5 throughan opening in the rear thereof, and above the journal portion 15 ispositioned a bearing brass I6 which abuts a backing plate I! positionedadjacent the upper wall of the journal box. The end of the journalportion of the axle is provided with a shoulder or flange l8 forproperly positioning the bearing brass 16 with respect to the journalportion 15.

The journal box is provided with a pair of parallel inwardly extendingflanges or abutment walls [9 and 20 providing a vertically arrangedspace orchannel 2i therebetween for receiving dust guard means utilizedfor the purpose of excluding dust and foreign matter from the journalbox. The present invention is directed to novel dust guard means whichmay be utilized in journal boxes of present conventional constructionwith slight modification as well as new journal boxes. In the form ofthe invention as shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, I have provided adust guard frame structure 22 preferably fabricated of sheet metal ofU-shaped configuration having side wall portions 23 and 24 connected byan integral bight portion 25 as is especially shown in Figures 2 and 4.The walls 23 and 24 are provided with centrally arranged circularopenings defined by edge portions 26 and 21. The side wall portions 23and 24 are formed with raised or oiiset annular boss portions 28 and 29bounding the circular openings and which are adapted to engage incircular recesses 30 and 3| formed in the opposing inner walls of theabutments or vertical wall portions l9 and 20 formed on the journal box.These annular recesses 30 and 3| are arranged to snugly receive theannular raised or boss portions 28 and 29 of the sheet metal dust guardframe. As the dust guard frame is formed of sheet metal, the resilienceor spring of the body portions of the bosses and securely heldtherebetween is an element 35 formed of flexible fibrous material as,for example, felt, cotton,

wicking or the like. The element, is preferably supported or providedwith a; backing member 36 formed of relatively thin sheet metal or thelike which is bent or crimped over the periphery of the element 35 toreinforce the same. The element 35 may be of annular configuration ormay be a single strip of material with the ends in abutting relation.The element 35 is configurated to surround the axle and of a dimensionto fit or oontaotthe exterior cylindrical surface of the car axle [4 asih Figure 2. ThI"Ough this arrangement the circular interior edges ofthe 'wicking 35 form a c ose Contact with the axle to prevent theihgress of dust or other foreign matter into the journal box as well asto minimize the loss of lubricant through the wiping action of thewicking on the car axle. I I

As particularly shown in Figure 2, the arrangethem or y inventionpermits, if es red, the use of'the conventional dust guard! indicatedinbroken lines arid is formedf'of wood or the like.

It is to be noted however that in the use of the conventional dust guardmade of wood, a suitable annular space 4| is provided for accommodatingthe tar 'axl'e which sp ce islarger than'thecar axle to permit relativemovements'o'i the car axle without engagement of the'axle' withthe'guard. Thus the Conventional wood dust guard 'doesnot seal thejournal as does the dust guard of my invention wherein the wicking orfibrous material is fabricated in a mariner which in normal positionengages the ear axle throughout its circumfer'erice. In the operation ora railway car, the car'axle is capable of movement relative to thejeur'harbhx and with the use or the dust guard of my inventiom'thewickiii'g is only temporarily distorted to permitsuchrelative movementsof the tone with respect to the joiithtu box. Through the use of myinventionthe guard element 35'cont'acts the exterior periphery of theaxle in normal pesitiemsueh tontat't be n interrupted only when the axlemoves out of normal position as when the car is oh 'a curve, and theContact is :then' only momentarily disruptedand is r-establi'she'd withthe axle" in nOl'lliall position. v v

In the form of the invention shown'ih Figure 5,

' thesealing element 35' is formed of maten' u avj i s a ge numberofstrands '42 preferabl any arranged w th're s'pett to the rotating axisor the car a le, the inner e s of th trands 48 being arranged to have awiping contact or engagement with the car axle periphery to establish aguard or seal to prevent the entrance'of dust and foreignrnatte'r intothe journal box. The

radially arranged strands 4,3 "otfthe element 35' are preferably ofsufiicient length to engage the periphery of the car axleandbe slightlydistorted thereby to prov de an efiective cont'actlbetwe'en the'st'randsand the'a'xl. In the event of relative movement of the car axle withrespect to the ournal box the radially artehg t strands will merely beflexed or caused to movet'eniporarily out Of their normal position inengagement with the car axle. When the axle has moved to its normalcentral position in the journal box the strand material will againcontact the axle throughout its periphery.

While the arrangement of my invention is intended to be usedindependently of other dust guard means; the same may be used with theconventional wood dust guard 4| as shown in Figure 2. The dust guardarrangement of my invention may be quickly and easily assembled in placeby gripping the ear portions 33 and flexing or springing portions 23 and24 together as shown in broken lines in Figure 2, which flexing ofportions 23 and'2'4 moves the annular boss portions 28 and 29 inwardlytoward each other and permits the guard to be slid into place in thechannel 2|, in the specific embodiment here illustrated, and when theear portions are released the bosses 28 and 29 spring outwardly into therecesses 30 and 3 l in the walls i9 and 20, thus permitting the dustguard construction to be slidably assembled in the channel or space 22;The dust guard may likewise be easilyreinovd by gripping the earportions 33, springing the sides of the guard toget'her therebyreleasing the latch portions 28 and 29 out of the recesses 30 and 3| sothat the guard maybe slidably removed.

It is appareri t' that, within the scope of the invention, modificationsand differentarrange- 'ments may be made other than is-her'eindisclosed, and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, theinvention comprehndill'g all Variations thereof.

What I claim is;

1. In combination; a car axle journal box formed'vvith a airprSubstantially parallel abutment Walls, said walls being spaced to form achannel therebetween and having an opening for the car journal; a framestructure formed of sheet metal of u-shaped'configuration arranged to beslidably received in the channel in said journ'al box, said abutmentwalls having frame retaining recessed means located about saidopenin'g;.the side walls of said frame structure having outwardlyextending annular portions adapted to extend into said recesses inthe'journal box walls; and means formed of fibrous material supportedupon saidU' shap'ed frame arranged for engagement'witri a car axle.

2. In combinationwith a car axle journal box said journal box beingintegrally formed with a vertically arranged channel and having a caraxle opening therein; a fr'ar'ri'structure' formed of sheet metalarranged to be'slidably received in thechannel in said journal box; thewalls definin'gisaid channelhaving'frarne retaining recessed meanslocated about said opening formed'theiein; the side walls'of "saidfrarnestructure having raised portions adapted to exte'nd'into saidrecesses; and means f ormd'of fibrous materialsupported upon saidframe-structure arrangecl for engagement with a car axle.

3. In combination, arailway car axle journal 1363': having a pair ofvertical s'ubstantiallyparallel walls spaced to provide a channelthereb'e'tween and having an opening for the car journal; a onepieceU-shapd framefor'me'd'of sheet metal arrangedptotbe slidably received insaid channel; the interior opposed surfaces of said channelwalls havingframe retainifig'r'e'cessed means located about said opening, the sidewalls of said frame structure having outwardly" extending raisedportions adapted to extend into s'aidreces'ses, and annularly shapedelement of fibrous material carried byeach of the side walls of saidframe structure and arranged for engagement with the periphery of a caraxle.

4. In combination, a railway car axle journal box having a pair ofvertical substantially parallel walls spaced to provide a channeltherebetween and having an opening for the car journal; a U-shaped frameformed of flexible sheet metal arranged to be slidably received in saidchannel; the interior opposed surfaces of said channel walls havingframe retaining recessed means located about said opening, the sidewalls of said frame structure having outwardly extending raised portionsadapted to extend into said recesses, the flexure of the U-shaped sheetmetal frame resiliently retaining the annular raised. portions in therecesses in the walls of said channel, an annularly shaped element offibrous material carried by each of the side walls of said framestructure and arranged for engagement with the periphery of a car axle.

5. In combination, a railway car axle journal box having a pair ofvertical substantially parallel walls spaced to provide a channeltherebetween; a one-piece U-shaped frame formed of flexible sheet metalarranged to be slidably received in said channel; laterally projectingear portions formed on said frame; the interior opposed surfaces of saidchannel walls having circular recesses, the side walls of saidframestructure having outwardly extending raised portions adapted to extendinto said recesses, the flexure of the U-shaped sheet metal frameresiliently retaining the annular raised portions in the recesses in thewalls of said channel, said ear portions providing a gripping means tomanually flex said side walls inwardly, and an annularly shaped elementof fibrous material carried by each of the side walls of said framestructure and arranged for engagement with the periphery of a car axle.

CLEQN M. HANNAFORD.

